Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've spoken many times in this place about Australia's great timber industry. Yesterday marked National Forestry Day, so I wanted to celebrate the enormous environmental, economic and social contribution of our forest industry and the workers behind it. The sector is a major employer in my home state of Victoria and right across the state of Australia. In fact, the full supply chain of our forest industry supports 80,000 direct jobs and another 100,000 indirect jobs, many in regional communities. It contributes $24 billion to our national economy each and every year.

This month I had the pleasure of touring the Powelltown Sawmills and I saw the positive impact that this industry has on the town and the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities. It was fantastic to hear how the facility provides significant employment opportunities for the local community. During the visit we discussed how sustainable forest management can help achieve emissions reduction targets and support regional communities. We know that as trees grow they absorb carbon, which then continues to be stored in the wood, plant matter and soil, retaining carbon that would otherwise live in the atmosphere.

This week federal Labor announced funding worth $5.65 million for eight new softwood plantations right across Australia. While it's disappointing to see the Victorian government shut down the native timber harvesting, it's pleasing to see that the federal government is putting money into plantations. With global demand for timber expected to quadruple by 2050, I'm proud to be part of a government that supports sustainable forest management in Australia and that recognises the crucial role the forestry sector plays in mitigating climate change and driving local economies, particularly those in the regions.